Enhancing media system metadata

• US 7,865,927 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pacurariu, Mihnea Calin, Ma, Jeffrey, Brodersen, Rainer, Goldeen, Rachel Clare
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): TELAN, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US11/549,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 725/24, 725/32, 725 37- 61, 725105-142, 725/19, 348/161, 348/526
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing enhanced metadata to a user. Systems and methods can include extraction of data from metadata and searching for related metadata based upon the the extracted data.

Claims

1. A media system, comprising:

a video input operable to receive video content;

a metadata input operable to receive metadata from a metadata provider, the metadata being associated with the video content;

a network interface operable to pull requested data from a network;

a search engine interface operable to extract data from the metadata based upon user input, search the network for data related to the extracted data, and to use the network interface to pull the related data from the network;

a control device operable to read timing data included in the related data; and

a signature identification engine operable to;

deriving a signature of a displayed frame of the video content;

access an association of timing data and known signatures of frames of the video content, the association specifying a respective time for each known signature; and

synchronize the related data to the video content based on the signature of the displayed frame of the video content, the timing data included in the related data, and the association of timing data and known signatures, the synchronizing comprising;

comparing the signature of the currently displayed frame of the video content to the known signatures of frames;

identifying a known signature of a frame that matches the signature of the displayed frame of video content;

identifying the time associated with the identified known signature;

determining whether the time associated with the identified known signature matches a time specified by the timing data included in the related data; and

displaying the related data in substantial synchronization with the displayed frame of video content in response to determining that the time associated with the identified known signature matches a time specified by the timing data included in the related data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the related data includes additional metadata that supplements the metadata received from the metadata provider.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the related data is provided by a collaborative website whereby members of the website provide metadata content which is associated with video content or metadata.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the video content is broadcast content provided by a broadcast content provider and the collaborative website is operated by the broadcast content provider.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the related data comprises trivia associated with video content.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more network search templates, each of the one or more network search templates defining at least a portion of data to be extracted from the metadata and to be used in searching for related data by the search engine interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is operable to receive a selection from a user of one or more of the network search templates, and the search engine interface is operable to cause a search to be performed based upon the selection.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a menu interface operable to receive the related data from the network interface, and to prompt the user to select from among related data, the menu interface being further operable to receive a selection and to cause at least a portion of the related data to be displayed to the user based upon the selection.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the network search templates include instructions that when processed by the search interface result in the extraction of one or more of a title, a genre, one or more actors, a director, a writer, or a producer from the metadata.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein upon extracting data from the metadata, the search engine interface is operable to receive a selection from a user using a user interface of one or more of the network search templates, the selection indicating whether the user desires more information about the title, the genre, one or more actors, the director, the writer or the producer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the related data comprises one or more of a third party review, biographies, production stills, or cast pictures.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the related data comprises bonus features associated with the video content.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the bonus features comprise a director'"'"'s commentary to be played in approximate synchronization with the video content.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the related data is received using an RSS feed.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving metadata associated with currently selected video content;

extracting search parameters from the received metadata;

searching a network for related data based upon the extracted search parameters;

receiving the related data;

reading timing data included in the related data;

deriving a signature of a displayed frame of the video content;

accessing an association of timing data and known signatures of frames of the video content, the association specifying a respective time for each known signature; and

synchronizing the related data to the video content based on the signature of the frame of the video content, the timing data included in the related data, and the association of timing data and known signatures, the synchronizing comprising;

comparing the signature of the displayed frame of the video content to the known signatures of frames;

identifying a known signature of a frame that matches the signature of the displayed frame of video content;

identifying the time associated with the identified known signature;

determining whether the time associated with the identified known signature matches a time specified by the timing data included in the related data; and

displaying the related data in substantial synchronization with the displayed frame of video content in response to determining that the time associated with the identified known signature matches a time specified by the timing data included in the related data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving user input specifying a type of related data for which to search.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the related data includes additional metadata that supplements the metadata received from a metadata provider.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the related data is provided by a collaborative website whereby members of the website provide metadata content which is associated with video content or metadata.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the currently selected video content is broadcast content provided by a broadcast content provider and the collaborative website is operated by the broadcast content provider.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the related data comprises trivia associated with video content.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising searching a network based upon one or more network search templates, the network search templates defining at least a portion of data to be extracted from the metadata and to be used in searching for supplemental program data.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a selection from a user of one or more of the network search templates; and

causing a search to be performed based upon the selection.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving the related data from a network interface;

prompting the user to select from among related data;

receiving a selection; and

causing at least a portion of the related data to be presented to the user based upon the selection.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the network search templates include instructions that when processed by a search engine result in the extraction of one or more of a title, a genre, one or more actors, a director, a writer, or a producer.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving a selection from a user of one or more of the network search templates, the selection indicating whether the user desires more information about the title, the genre, one or more actors, the director, the writer or the producer.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the related data comprises one or more of a third party review, biographies, production stills, or cast pictures.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the related data comprises bonus features associated with the video content.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the bonus features comprise a director'"'"'s commentary to be played in approximate synchronization with the video content.